Mingle - Emergency Potluck

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WELCOME POTLUCK

Greetings, residents! Those more observant sorts among you may have noticed a large influx of very crowded ferries. In order to welcome our new residents en masse, Town Hall is holding a potluck in Town Square. Please bring a dish if you are able and make a new friend!

All of our newest arrivals need only bring themselves. We look forward to welcoming you all into our community, and may your lanterns always be lit.

This event is open to all! In light of our new influx of prospective players following the Great Sail Migration, we've decided to offer a small public event to tide everyone over until the TDM this weekend.

Comments

[spaghettification]

"Yes, I believe so. It looks to be a pasta dish with a meat sauce."

The man speaking to Ari is floating a solid six inches off the ground, barefoot, and even though they're both speaking the common tongue, he has a strong Dutch accent.

"Are you a vegetarian? I believe I saw a spinach quiche. Though that does still have eggs..."

[astrogator]

'Yes, I think that is the word.' Her own accent is heavy, she trips over the th and approximates it with a tap. It's unmistakably foreign, but not easy to place. She's doing her best; it's a concerted effort for her not to slip into her own Sector Standard and instead to speak a language she doesn't recall learning.

'Eggs are fine,' she confirms. 'I like eggs!'

Yet it's not the food that holds her attention now. Her eyes are drawn to his feet, and she tilts her head. 'You're carrying a portable anti-grav generator?' It's the logical conclusion.

[spaghettification]

"Not a generator, as such. I am manipulating how gravity relates to me--currently, it does not, particularly."

Still, it's a nice question to hear. One that shows some knowledge of astrophysics.

[astrogator]

She blinks, processing this answer. 'You are manipulating it - how?'

Running through Tayrey's head is the little refrain please don't say magic, please don't say magic. She's being cautiously optimistic, but steeling herself for some carefully diplomatic evasion of the subject if she needs it.

[spaghettification]

"My relationship with gravity was altered after exposure to a micro black hole while performing experiments on a space station."

That isn't magic, at least???

[astrogator]

That is a far more sensible answer than she was expecting. She relaxes, visibly.

'I see. That's - I'm sorry for it, if it was unintentional, but it does seem you're making the best of it. You're a stationer?' Tayrey points to herself, a small smile on her face. 'Spacer. Astrogator to be precise about it. This place is... an adjustment.' It doesn't seem as if the lack of technology is bothering her too much, though. She says it cheerfully enough. 'I'm Lieutenant Tayrey. Peace and prosperity to you.'

[spaghettification]

"Stationer? Ah, you're a little beyond the technology of my original context. We weren't properly spacefaring yet, and no one lived their lives out on the space station, it was mostly there for experiments. But we did have a lunar colony, Horizon, run by a dear friend of mine." He returns her smile.

"Dr. Siebren de Kuiper. It's a pleasure to meet you."

[astrogator]

She nods. 'I'm imagining it like one of our outpost stations - strategically or scientifically important, so people stay out there a while, but not exactly a permanent home. The hub stations are different. Big commerce centers,' she explains. She's recalibrating her understanding. Lunar colony means spacefaring, but only in-system.

'It sounds as if your people are well on the way to the stars, thanks to innovators like you and your friend.' Genuine admiration. Tayrey's always had an interest in spacer history, thought it must have been exciting to be there at the beginning. 'What's your homeworld called?'

[spaghettification]

"Earth. I come from a planet called Earth, the third planet from our star, Sol. It has one moon, Luna. None of the other planets in the system are naturally habitable for humans, though there's discussion about the possibility of frozen oceans on the moons of the gas giants containing life."

The fact that she has to ask is exciting; he can't help but wonder if she's from a far future when humanity's spread beyond Earth, or another universe altogether.

[astrogator]

Earth. She smiles in recognition. 'I've met a few Earthers,' she tells him, unwilling to admit just how many. It would require explanation that she's not sure she's up to giving right now. Tayrey wants to be considered on her own merits, as a spacer, not a victim.

'My homeworld is called Cardalek,' she tells him. 'The colony, and the Company that founded it. It's partly terraformed, as is one of our moons, where we grow crops. There aren't many naturally habitable worlds our our way either! The sector has over a hundred inhabited planets, but many of those settlements are small. Thousands. I've heard Earth is densely populated.'

Her voice is animated, enthusiastic. It's so good to talk to someone who cares about this sort of thing.

[spaghettification]

"Someday, someday we may terraform our moon. We had a bubble-city colony up there at one point. Horizon, it was called. The Horizon Lunar Colony."

It ended poorly, as so much in the history of a game like Overwatch does. Lab primate revolt.

"I don't think the inhabitants of this planet have reached any of their moons yet."

[astrogator]

She can tell from his phrasing that the colony isn't there now, although her guesses as to why would be so far from the truth. She gives him a sympathetic look.

'Progress isn't always linear, and a lot of ours was driven by adversity. You'll get there. It's not my field, but maybe someday I could tell you what I know about terraforming techniques, if that would help.' That's allowable; it's old technology to her, not a Tradeline secret and not politically sensitive in any way.

This place, however, needs far more work, and Tayrey shakes her head. 'I don't think the local people here have done so much as break orbit. I haven't seen anything more advanced than steam power. Have you?'

[spaghettification]

"No, but there are those here who claim to use magic, something which is not possible in my world."

We will leave Kiriko and her abilities out of this conversation because it's some bullshit and should not have happened. But also because Sigma doesn't know what she's doing, exactly.

"I have plans to create a telescope to get a better understanding of this solar system."

[astrogator]

'I find that an unhelpful word,' says Tayrey mildly. 'It seems to me that different universes have different natural laws - it's fascinating, really. I'd like to understand the variations better. Particularly what's going on here, because understanding the natural laws of the universe you find yourself in is important - but that mention of a telescope catches her attention, and the issue of magic is all but forgotten.

'A telescope! That's a fine idea! I'd planned on taking parallax measurements, see if I can put some decent charts together, but that - well, manufacture isn't my field, but I'd gladly help where I can in return for use of it when it's ready.'

[spaghettification]

"I'm still amassing the funds for parts. Glass lenses and mirrors are something that are still being refined in this world, and I may need to commission them to precise specifications."

The implicit offer: help fund the project, get to use the scope.

[astrogator]

Ari Tayrey has never felt ashamed of not having enough money before. This comes close.

It's a long time since she decided she wouldn't make use of her family's wealth, but they'd all been in the same situation shipside back then, she and her new friends, and jokes about apprentice spacers' meager salaries were one more way to bring them together. Besides, the Tradelines took care of everything necessary, if she spent her money on tailoring and imported coffee it hadn't mattered.

Now? She's working hard, but she got here all of two days ago, with absolutely nothing. No way to reach her savings, or even the family money if she changed her mind about it. She's on her own. And she's determined to make a success of it, but it can't be done in an instant.

'I'm not... currently in position to agree that sort of contract,' she says stiffly. 'What's your timescale?'

[spaghettification]

“Undefined. I don’t have a sense of the cost, or how long we’ll be here. I’m hoping to be able to save up over time, though.”

Siebren doesn’t have months on the Serena Eterna to gauge what time in a jamjar looks like.

“Right now, everything is fairly theoretical, to me.”

[astrogator]

What a relief! Tayrey relaxes.

'In that case, it's a project I'd like to take an interest in,' she says brightly. 'I'll be in a position to offer funding support before too long.'

Optimistic, but if she doesn't bet on herself, nobody else is going to.